Difference between revisions of "Cursed"

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''This page is about the item effect. For the card, see the article [[Deck of oddities#Curse card|Curse card]].''
 
''This page is about the item effect. For the card, see the article [[Deck of oddities#Curse card|Curse card]].''
  
'''Cursed''' equipment cannot be removed once equipped, unless their curse is removed. They are a major reason to [[identify]] items before using them.
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Some equipment that you come across will be '''cursed''', rendering it impossible to unequip until you find a way to break the curse. These items will look just like any other item until you equip or identify them, at which point the curse will be revealed. Depending on the nature of the specific item, this can be a minor irritant or a major hazard. Although useful cursed items appear occasionally, most cursed weapons and armour will have negative enchantment penalties, while cursed jewelry is usually designed to harm the wearer. On top of that, if you are stuck with a cursed blunt weapon, you'll be unable to butcher [[corpse]]s and may be at risk of starvation. Cursed [[gloves]] prevent you from changing your equipped [[ring]]s, and cursed [[cloak]]s prevent you from changing body armour. Because of this, it is wise to careful about equipping unidentified items.  
 
 
Besides the annoyance of being "stuck" with it, cursed equipment is often generated with other negative effects. Cursed [[weapon]]s and [[armour]] are more likely to have enhancement penalties, while several types of cursed [[ring]]s and [[amulet]]s are especially designed to bring annoyance or harm to the wearer.
 
 
 
Even the fact that cursed items cannot be removed can cause harm. Wielding a cursed blunt weapon prevents you from butchering [[corpse]]s, increasing the threat of [[hunger|starvation]]. Cursed [[gloves]] also prevent you from changing rings, and cursed [[cloak]]s prevent you from changing your armor.
 
  
On the other hand, the god [[Ashenzari]] rewards you for wearing cursed items, and can help you keep your items cursed.
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Followers of [[Ashenzari]] receive special bonuses for wearing cursed gear, and are given abilities that make it easier to curse your gear and maintain curses.
  
==Detecting curses==
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==Detecting Curses==
Identifying equipment will reveal whether it is cursed. If you cannot identify an item, there are several other ways to discern whether it is cursed:
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Only items that appear magical can bear curses; any item that has no descriptive word before the item name cannot be cursed. For example, a ''trident'' will always be safe to equip, while a ''runed trident'' may or may not bear a curse.
  
*Reading a [[scroll of detect curse]] will reveal the curse status of all equipment you are currently carrying.
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Beyond that, [[identify]]ing an item will reveal whether it is cursed. If you cannot identify an item, there are two ways to discern whether it is cursed:
*Witnessing an enemy unequip the item.
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*Witnessing an enemy unequip the item
*Equipping it yourself. (This will, of course, cause the curse to take effect, so be sure to have a [[scroll of remove curse]] handy).
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*Equipping it yourself (This will, of course, cause the curse to take effect, so be sure to have a means of curse removal ready)
  
In all these cases, the game will mark the item's curse status, even if it is otherwise unidentified.
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In both cases, the game will mark the item's cursed or uncursed status, even if it is otherwise unidentified.
  
==Uncursing items==
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==Uncursing Items==
*Cursed armor will lose its curse if targeted by a [[scroll of enchant armor]], unless you worship [[Ashenzari]].
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*The most common method for uncursing items is to read a [[scroll of remove curse]]. This will uncurse all cursed items you are currently wearing, but has no effect on unequipped items in your inventory. These scrolls are thankfully very common.
*A currently-equipped cursed weapon will become uncursed if you read a [[scroll of enchant weapon I]], [[scroll of enchant weapon II]], or [[scroll of enchant weapon III]], unless you worship Ashenzari.
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*The main use for [[scrolls of enchant weapon]] and [[scrolls of enchant armour]] is to strengthen your equipment, but they have the added benefit of uncursing the item if it is cursed. Using these scrolls specifically to uncurse a single item is usually wasteful.
*Reading a [[scroll of remove curse]] will uncurse ''all'' currently equipped cursed items, but not any cursed equipment in your inventory.  If you worship Ashenzari, you can choose which equipped items to uncurse and which to leave alone.
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**Worshipers of [[Ashenzari]] are affected by the above scrolls differently. Scrolls of remove curse will only affect the equipped items you wish to uncurse, and enchantment scrolls will leave curses intact.
*Blessing your weapon with your [[god]]'s power ([[Lugonu]]'s Distortion, [[the Shining One]]'s Cleansing Flame, etc.) will remove its curse as part of the upgrade.
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*Blessing your weapon with your [[god]]'s brand gift ([[Lugonu]]'s [[distortion]], [[the Shining One]]'s [[holy wrath]], or [[Kikubaaqudgha]]'s [[pain]]) will remove its curse as part of the upgrade.
  
==Item cursing==
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==Item Cursing==
Uncursed equipment is normally safe to equip. However, items can ''become'' cursed in a variety of ways, including:
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Uncursed equipment is normally safe to equip. However, items can ''become'' cursed in a variety of ways, including:
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*Reading a [[scroll of curse weapon]], [[scroll of curse armour]], or [[scroll of curse jewellery]].
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*A [[Mummy (monster)|mummy]]'s [[death curse]] will curse a single random piece of equipment in your inventory.
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*Artifact items can have the "recurring curse" property - even if they are currently uncursed, they may automatically recurse themselves whenever they are equipped.
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*Worshippers of [[Ashenzari]] will always receive cursed items from [[scrolls of acquirement]]. The items will otherwise be of normal acquirement quality.
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*[[Miscast effect]]s from the [[Charms]] and [[Hexes]] schools will sometimes curse your items.
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*Drawing a [[Deck of oddities#Curse card|Curse card]] will curse one or more items in your inventory.
  
* Reading a [[scroll of curse weapon]], [[scroll of curse armour]], or [[scroll of curse jewellery]].
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==History==
* A [[Mummy (monster)|mummy]]'s [[death curse]] can curse your equipment as one of its possible effects.
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Prior to [[0.6]] (and the removal of the [[Divinations]] school of magic), the [[Detect Curse]] spell allowed you to determine the cursed or uncursed status of all items in your [[inventory]] without any personal risk. This update also removed the [[Remove Curse]] spell, which uncursed any equipped items.
* Artifact items can have the "recurring curse" property - even if they are currently uncursed, they will automatically recurse themselves whenever they are equipped.
 
* Worshippers of [[Ashenzari]] will always receive cursed items from [[scroll of acquirement|scrolls of acquirement]].  The items will otherwise be of normal acquirement quality.
 
  
== Version notes ==
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Prior to [[0.11]], you could read a [[scroll of detect curse]] to examine your inventory for cursed items, just like the obsolete spell.
Before version [[0.6.0]] (and the removal of the [[Divinations]] school of magic), you could detect curses with the [[Detect Curse]] spell. The [[Remove Curse]] spell of earlier versions has also been yanked.  
 
  
 
[[Category:Effects]] [[Category:Item]]
 
[[Category:Effects]] [[Category:Item]]

Revision as of 21:10, 17 January 2013

Version 0.11: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.


This page is about the item effect. For the card, see the article Curse card.

Some equipment that you come across will be cursed, rendering it impossible to unequip until you find a way to break the curse. These items will look just like any other item until you equip or identify them, at which point the curse will be revealed. Depending on the nature of the specific item, this can be a minor irritant or a major hazard. Although useful cursed items appear occasionally, most cursed weapons and armour will have negative enchantment penalties, while cursed jewelry is usually designed to harm the wearer. On top of that, if you are stuck with a cursed blunt weapon, you'll be unable to butcher corpses and may be at risk of starvation. Cursed gloves prevent you from changing your equipped rings, and cursed cloaks prevent you from changing body armour. Because of this, it is wise to careful about equipping unidentified items.

Followers of Ashenzari receive special bonuses for wearing cursed gear, and are given abilities that make it easier to curse your gear and maintain curses.

Detecting Curses

Only items that appear magical can bear curses; any item that has no descriptive word before the item name cannot be cursed. For example, a trident will always be safe to equip, while a runed trident may or may not bear a curse.

Beyond that, identifying an item will reveal whether it is cursed. If you cannot identify an item, there are two ways to discern whether it is cursed:

  • Witnessing an enemy unequip the item
  • Equipping it yourself (This will, of course, cause the curse to take effect, so be sure to have a means of curse removal ready)

In both cases, the game will mark the item's cursed or uncursed status, even if it is otherwise unidentified.

Uncursing Items

  • The most common method for uncursing items is to read a scroll of remove curse. This will uncurse all cursed items you are currently wearing, but has no effect on unequipped items in your inventory. These scrolls are thankfully very common.
  • The main use for scrolls of enchant weapon and scrolls of enchant armour is to strengthen your equipment, but they have the added benefit of uncursing the item if it is cursed. Using these scrolls specifically to uncurse a single item is usually wasteful.
    • Worshipers of Ashenzari are affected by the above scrolls differently. Scrolls of remove curse will only affect the equipped items you wish to uncurse, and enchantment scrolls will leave curses intact.
  • Blessing your weapon with your god's brand gift (Lugonu's distortion, the Shining One's holy wrath, or Kikubaaqudgha's pain) will remove its curse as part of the upgrade.

Item Cursing

Uncursed equipment is normally safe to equip. However, items can become cursed in a variety of ways, including:

History

Prior to 0.6 (and the removal of the Divinations school of magic), the Detect Curse spell allowed you to determine the cursed or uncursed status of all items in your inventory without any personal risk. This update also removed the Remove Curse spell, which uncursed any equipped items.

Prior to 0.11, you could read a scroll of detect curse to examine your inventory for cursed items, just like the obsolete spell.